Last weekend me and my dad had a little city break.
Nothing fancy.
Just wandering around, eating well, a couple of beers, the usual sort of weekend.
One thing we always end up doing is checking our step counts.
He’s not really into gyms or training.
But he loves that little step number ticking up on his phone.
So it turns into a quiet competition.
Day one we did about 15,000 steps just wandering around the city.
Day two he suddenly pipes up one evening and goes, “I’m on 17,000 already.”
Which basically meant I had to start taking the long way everywhere.
By the end of the weekend, we were both over 20,000 steps just trying to beat each other.
No workouts.
No grand fitness plan.
Just walking.
Recently, I saw a stat saying the average person walks fewer than 4,000 steps a day.
Which explains quite a lot.
Most people sit all day, move very little, and then try to fix everything with one brutal gym session.
They think they need to train 5 or 6 days a week.
Two-hour workouts.
Sweat pouring everywhere.
Nice idea.
Terrible plan for most people.
Because the truth is, getting in shape doesn’t require living in the gym.
For most people the sweet spot is much simpler.
3 proper gym sessions a week.
About 45 minutes each.
Full body weight training.
That’s it.
Each session has a very simple job.
Try to do slightly better than last time.
One extra rep.
A bit more weight.
Better control on the exercise.
Nothing heroic.
Just progress.
Do that week after week and your body adapts.
You get stronger.
Your shape improves.
You start to look like someone who trains.
But the bit people get wrong is a mind-bender for some.
The gym’s job isn’t to burn loads of calories.
A tough 45 minute weights session might burn around 200 to 300 calories.
That’s about the same as a chocolate bar.
So trying to rely on gym workouts alone to burn fat is a bit like trying to drain a swimming pool with a bucket.
The real calorie burn happens outside the gym.
Steps.
Aim for around 8,000 to 10,000 a day.
It doesn’t need to be complicated.
Walk before work.
Ten minutes after lunch.
A stroll after dinner instead of collapsing straight onto the sofa.
(A walking pad is great for this!)
Those little bits of movement across the day quietly burn a lot of calories without destroying your energy.
Then get the boring basics right.
Three proper meals a day.
Each one built around a decent portion of protein.
Eggs. Chicken. Fish. Lean beef. Greek yoghurt.
Simple stuff.
Meals two and three can include some carbohydrates so you’ve actually got energy to train and recover.
Drink 2 to 3 litres of water across the day.
Sleep 7 to 9 hours a night.
None of this is flashy.
But it’s the stuff that actually works.
Think about the time commitment.
Three gym sessions.
Forty-five minutes each.
That’s just over two hours across the entire week.
Less time than most people spend scrolling their phone in one evening.
Yet those two hours can completely change how you look and feel if you actually show up.
Stronger.
Leaner.
More energy.
Better sleep.
More confidence.
You don’t need to train like a bodybuilder.
You just need to train consistently.
Three good sessions.
Walk a bit more.
Eat like an adult.
Drink some water.
Get some sleep.
Repeat.
Funny thing is, the people who follow that approach usually end up in far better shape than the ones trying to smash six sessions a week.
Because they’re still turning up long after everyone else has burned out.
Go and train today!
-Ryan
P.S
If you’re in the gym 4, 5, 6 or even 7 days a week and still not seeing the results you want, it might not be an effort problem.
It might be the plan.
Our 6 Week Meltdown keeps things simple.
Three proper strength sessions each week, coached by a trainer so you know exactly what you’re doing and how to improve.
We’ll also give you our meal planner and recipe books, and check in with you each week to make sure the basics are in place.
Your steps. Your water. Your sleep.
Simple things done properly tend to beat complicated plans that fall apart after two weeks.
See if there are any spaces left on our April intake.
They’re going quickly.